Gryffindors' Bet

"Witch is going to ask you out," Sirius suddenly says, looking above Remus' shoulder. Remus looks up at him, from the book he was reading, and tries to decipher what Sirius meant. It would be easier to just turn around and look behind, but it would be also more awkward, if the other person would notice him looking. Remus watches the boy in front of him carefully, then he looks back at the book.

It's easy between them. The moment Sirius got his message with the way to start a new life with Regulus, he's changed. He is still reserved, but two weeks have passed since then, and he is less afraid to show himself, now. Sirius also started to skip studying, as if with his new forthcoming freedom, he forcefully stopped doing things, he was obliged to do by his parents. Remus has no idea how the consequences of it will look like, since there are final exams coming, and it's the worst time to stop studying.

"Yhm," Remus murmurs, no longer paying attention to Sirius, because he is too oblivious, to even notice someone liking him, and the girl is probably going to ask Sirius out. Remus doesn't really want to hear about it.

"Ravenclaw girl, oh, on Merlin's beard, she's getting up," Sirius observes, his voice sounding annoyed. Remus huffs a laugh, because Sirius doesn't do anything at all, so he isn't sure, why would he be irritated by someone disturbing him. While doing nothing. It annoys Remus.

"She's going to ask you out, you dimwit," Remus mutters.

"No," Sirius denies confidently, making Remus looks up at him, again. Sirius is gazing at him, his eyes watching Remus with a focus. "Wanna bet? You like bets."

Remus rolls his eyes. "Sure, what the loser does?"

Sirius taps his fingers on the table. "I don't know, we don't have time, she's coming."

Remus gets an idea. "The loser has to wear the winner's tie."

"What, no!" Sirius exclaims. "I'm not going to wear Gryffindor tie."

Remus shrugs. "Then think of something better, I guess she is almost here."

Sirius fidgets a bit, then stills all of a sudden, and says, "Alright, I'm going to win, anyway."

A voice sounds behind Remus around five seconds later.

"Excuse me?"

Remus turns around, to be polite, even though the witch probably won't even look at him. He can't deny she must be courageous, to approach someone, who is with the other person at the time. Now, that Remus thinks about it, it's even weirder, since it's not so hard, to find Sirius alone. So when Remus turns around, and his eyes meet the crystal clear blue ones, he isn't as much surprised to catch her gaze. The girl is pretty. She isn't a breathtaking type of beauty, as Sirius is, but it would be difficult to look like Sirius, and above all, it's not fair to compare them.

The witch has a slight blush on her cheeks, but she stands proudly, with her chin held high.

Remus supposes they would like each other, as friends, but it's too late now, since he will finish Hogwarts, soon.

"You are?" Sirius asks first.

The witch glances at him, but then turns her gaze at Remus, again, and some of her self-confidence falters.

"Do you need something?" Remus tries to help. He wonders who would win the bet, if she, indeed, approached Remus, not Sirius, but not to ask him out, but to ask for help with something.

"I'm Lucinda," she says. "You don't have to introduce yourself, I know, who you are. I know, you don't know me, Remus, but I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity, that I wouldn't have, soon, and ask you…" She clears her throat. "Would you like to go for a walk along the lakeside with me this Saturday?"

On the one hand, the situations screams she is asking you out! Then, again, is the Great Lake the typical rendezvous point? Maybe she does need something from Remus? He wants to reject her gently, but if it's not a proposition of a date, then Remus will only embarrass himself. What if he thinks it's a date, because of Sirius' words?

"Umm…" Remus tries. "I'm sorry, I'm going to be occupied this Saturday." He says, and to make it more obvious, just in case, he adds, "It's really lovely you're asking me, but N.E.W.T.s are around the corner, and I don't think I'll have the time." He implies the lack of time will last until the end of the year.

Lucinda shows only a moment of being dejected, before turning her lips into a crooked smile.

"Alright, I'll think it's because I'm too late, then."

Remus huffs a laugh. "You are, but thank you for asking."

Lucinda shows him a lopsided smile, then pivots on her heel to walk away, but suddenly stops to turn around once more.

"You know, Remus," she says. "We don't know each other, but I really like you. You're a role model for many of us, and because I genuinely respect you, I wanted you to know about it. I'm not going to pretend I was rejected."

Remus tries to gather his thoughts, and not to tell anything wrong, but it’s not a usual circumstance.

"You're really brave," he says.

Lucinda watches him for a bit, and her shoulders fall, as if she was more stressed, than she let others see.

She nods. "If you're a Ravenclaw, you need courage, because without it, you can't get a knowledge you want."

Then, she walks away, without a final goodbye. Remus turns to look at Sirius, and finds him with a slight displeasure on a face, that he replaces with a satisfaction.

"I hope you like green?" Sirius asks, and Remus tries to imagine himself with Slytherin robes instead of the Gryffindor ones. Now, that he is about to be the one to wear the rivalry House tie, Remus feels the uneasiness settling in.

"It's my favourite colour, actually."

"Is it now?" Sirius wonders aloud.

Remus has a moment of internal crisis, before he decides it's better for him, to deal with the consequences of his actions, now. The faster he sees to it, the faster it ends, so Remus unties his tie to take it off, and shows his hand to Sirius in the gesture of wanting him to give his tie. Sirius smirks.

"I know what you're thinking, but I'm not going to make it easier for you. We'll start the penalty tomorrow from the morning, not so late today."

Remus blinks. He wonders how he will cope with having eyes on him all day tomorrow, and decides, today he will get enough attention.

He gets up, walks up to the boy, and unties Sirius' tie, himself. "We didn't specify the date of the penalty and how long the loser has to wear the tie, so today is as good as any other day."

Sirius looks straight into his eyes, with intense focus, and Remus isn't sure Sirius heard his words. The action is far more intimate, than Remus wanted it to be, with his fingers brushing Sirius' neck and hair, and the full of tension silence. Full of focus on one another. Green eyes against the grey ones. Remus loses, before he even starts the battle, but he has the tie in his hand, so he pretends the win is his. He winks, making Sirius blush and turn his head away.

It makes Remus' heart flutter, a flicker of hope raising in his chest, but he stifles it as fast as possible. It's better to start with low expectations, not to be surprised after you don't get what you want.

Remus puts on Sirius' tie, and offers his own to the boy. Sirius shakes his head, though, so Remus hides his tie in his robe.

"It surely looks like your favourite colour," Sirius says. Remus watches him, from head to toe, and smiles slowly, lifting one corner of his mouth. Sirius frowns, and Remus waits for him to gather his thoughts, but Sirius suddenly gets up. "Alright, we have to walk through the castle, so everyone see I don't have a tie."

Remus laughs. "What, you want everyone to know I wear something yours?"

Sirius blushes and paces forward. Remus' heart paces even faster.

---

"I'm happy," Andromeda says, a soft smile playing on her lips. Crinkled eyes makes it more genuine, because she isn't even laughing, Andromeda is just looking at Peter, expressing her happiness. "I'm happy seeing Sirius and Regulus enjoying themselves. It's not something easy in our family. It's something we have to fight for."

Peter knows he isn't really in with Black brothers. He doesn't know everything, it's also not his place to ask. He is a little in the background, and his friends, his best friends, are a little detached from him, because of it. Since they know more things, important information, that is out of his reach. It's a bit of bitter, but it doesn't make him smaller. It's out of his control to feel like he isn't that close to James or Remus, as before, but it's only the bitterness of it. It's not the sadness, feeling of lost, or humbling himself in a way he didn't want to. It's a bitter feeling, but it has a sweet ring to it. Like he knows it won't stop being bitter, so he shouldn't stay inside this bubble of wanting someone to comfort him. Because his friends, having their own stories, isn't something to be comforted about. They're part of Peter's story, but Peter has to finally understand his story is not the only one.

And the only reason he ever wanted his story to be exclusive, is feeling worse than others. Feeling, his story isn't as entertaining, as interesting as James' or Remus'. And that's bitter. Because their stories are getting their peaks, and his is still the same story of Peter Pettigrew, who has solitary issues and nothing to offer, beside the depth of his emotions. The sweetness comes, too, though.

Peter looks at Ted and Andromeda next to him. Who talks to him, who are not in James' and Remus' stories at this point, either. Who smile at him, making him wonder if he really needs to be James, or Remus, or to be in the centre of attention, to play his own story.

Because why is he so focused on lives that aren't his own? Why, when he lives his own life, with his own story, with his own depth and his own friends, own events, own stories to joke about or be embarrassed of. Why should his life not count as much? It's his life, and it's sweet it's his own, because that means he doesn't have to wait for everyone around to decide for himself. No one can make decisions for him, and waiting, waiting for others to include him, it's a decision he constantly makes on his own. He is included. He's just not the main character in the story that isn't his own. Because he has his own story to experience, and the sweetness is realizing that no one is going to take it from him. The only person being able to do it, is him. And is he going to take it from himself? The possibilities?

Or will he look at his life, and say, well, that's my life, and my decisions, also it's a long process, but I can always change things, change the course of actions I didn't like. 

Peter thinks he will try, because, siting here, thinking of the life he can have, or don't have to experience, makes him feel important. Like he is able to feel he is important, not because of his achievements, acknowledgment or anything that could make him feel lesser. He is important, because he is. He lives, he looks at his life from his own eyes, he makes decisions for himself, he laughs, he smiles, he chats with his friends. He plays games, he gossips, he just has a life.

He just has a life.

And it's his own.

Peter smiles and glances at Andromeda.

"I'm happy for them, too," Peter answers, and he means it. Because Sirius and Regulus have their own lives, and it's not Peter's business to wish them badly. To be jealous, even. It's his own business to take care of himself.

---

James, because he is the James Potter, asked Regulus to give him the book he was constantly talking about. What James doesn't expect, is for a piece of paper to fall from the book, after he opens it. When James picks it up, before his eyes is something handwritten, looks like a poem at first, but further going, there is a letter.

James isn't certain if he should read it, because maybe it's private and not for James' eyes. Then again, it's Regulus, who is the owner of the book. He surely wouldn't leave an important or intimate note in it, while giving it to James.

So he starts reading, the cursive writing of Regulus'. 

Can words make a person change?

Can words affect without act?

Can words change the world or mind?

What can words do without thoughts?

Without ambience, without mood,

When you can't stand in one's shoes,

Without feelings, without fight,

Can words mean something at all?

Words are scary, words are bright…

Words are only thing I've got…

Dear James,

there are things I'm not able to show you or act accordingly. There are words, that can be understood only as much, as I can convey my feelings with them. I often feel misunderstood, and misread, and most of the time I believe it's other's fault, since they are presumptuous and assuming. But there are times, when I wonder… what if? What if it's me, who doesn't act clearly enough? Then, what if the fault is non-existent, and it's not the matter of someone's understanding, nor the ability to make the situation comprehensible? What if it's more about circumstances, the way the person lived until now, their own interpretation of the surrounding?

James, I see you. I can recognize your smiles, your movements, meaning behind your words. And I sense you understand me, too. But there is no certainty in the world full of emotions and misconceptions. I certainly still hope, you will understand me, when I say, you're the sun. That it's a wonder for us to meet, as I am the star on the night sky, belonging so far from the light of the day. You make me see the brightness of the sunrise and beauty of the sunset, after the life of seeing only the darkness of the obsidian night. Sirius shines brightly, but he also hangs in the pitch-black sky. There is only one sun, that creates the foundations for the nourishing and a good life, and if it's not you, then I'm not searching for light anymore. Be my sun, James. I'll try to be anything you would want me to be. 

And you better hide this letter, because I'm going to burn it the first thing, I see it. And never talk to me about it, because then I'm going to erase your memorises.

Wishing you a good day,

Sincerely yours, Regulus. 

After reading it, James' answer is yes.

---

"Take the map, and we're going," James says, taking out the Invisibility Cloak. With Peter, they're going to the Shrieking Shack to accompany Remus, when he will be transforming. They are early, but they need to stay outside, until Madam Pomfrey leave, so no one knows there are other wizards with Remus during full moon. "Peter?" James turns his head, because Peter is strangely quiet, and when James looks at him, Peter has furrowed eyebrows and is looking at the map. James comes closer and puts his hand on Peter's shoulder. He jumps. "Something's wrong?"

Peter glances at him, then points at the map. "Look here."

James follows Peter's finger. It's not a problem to understand what perplexed his friend so much. Most students are already in their dorms, only barely a few braves enough to endanger themselves to Argus Filch's wrath, after catching someone after the upcoming curfew. So the presence of Bellatrix, Andromeda and Narcissa Black around the castle is not a typical sight.

"They're planning something?" James thinks aloud. "Is Bellatrix with Andromeda going in the direction of the Whomping Willow?"

"And look at Narcissa, she's going towards… Sirius, maybe?"

James searches for Regulus on the map, but the boy is in his room.

"Why would Black sisters go outside today?"

"And if Narcissa is going to Sirius, then what's the reason?" Peter asks. Their eyes meet, and Peter gives the map to James. "I'll go toward Shrieking Shack as planned, and you go to Sirius. Take the map in case Narcissa goes elsewhere, or Sirius change his position."

James nods. "Do you want the cloak?"

Peter shakes his head. "I'm a rat," he grins, and they part.

James tries not to panic, but he almost runs towards Sirius, attempting not to make too much noise. The corridors seem to be longer this evening, his footsteps louder, and the ambience more ominous. James glances at the map and sees that Peter already reached near the Whomping Willow, and Remus isn't visible on the map, so he must have been already in the Shrieking Shack. James notices on the map, that Narcissa is next to Sirius, the moment he hears her voice.

"You'll want to know," she says.

"There's nothing I would like to know from you, so you can piss off," Sirius answers.

"Sirius, I'm not doing this to harm you," James has to come nearer, because Narcissa lowered her voice. He doesn't know if he should leave, already, or stay here, just in case Narcissa wants to lead Sirius into a trap.

"Very believable," Sirius scoffs. James doesn't see them, but hears the footsteps, so he guesses Sirius is walking away.

"You might think I'm trying to mess you up, but my sisters are now going towards your… friend, Lupin, and if you won't go, something really bad for him, and for you might happen."

James doesn't know if the silence is so long, or if it's only the false impression, since he's in a hurry. There is nothing much he can do now, though. James can wait for Sirius, so they can go together, or he can leave alone, but the destination is the same. The problem is time, and the uncertainty of Narcissa's words. It's certain, that Bellatrix and Andromeda are going towards Remus, now. Is it a trap, though? Is it something that is about to hurt both Sirius, and Remus?

"Where?" Sirius asks calmly.

Narcissa exhales. "Whomping Willow."

The steps that sound on the corridor are far from quiet, or slow. Sirius sprints past James in no time, slowing a little bit, when he notices James. He must have sprinted off, without further thought, just running towards Remus.

James gestures him to be quiet, and shows him to follow. He knows all the shortcuts in this castle, so it's better for him to lead. It's surprising, though, that James speeds the fastest he is able to, and his pace is fast. James has been a Quidditch team member for almost 6 years, now, so he is trained, and his form is actually great. Sirius is… mostly sitting. But he runs next to James, as if he's an aspiring athlete. They sprint towards Remus, like their lives depend on it, because Narcissa didn't tell, what her sisters are planning, but it's not hard to imagine possible scenarios.

Remus being exposed as a werewolf, would destroy his life, and also Sirius' newfound happiness. The Black sisters seem to want to take away from Sirius everything, that makes him less Black. That makes him more of himself.

James can't let any of his friends suffer, so of course, he runs as if the world is about to end. Some worlds are.

But how the Black sisters knew about Remus' lycanthropy? James lets himself glance at Sirius. His hair is ruffled, and his face shows only determination and anger. Does Sirius know, too?

And is it because Remus befriended Sirius? That's why the Blacks paid him more attention and connected the facts?

James wants to take a glimpse of the situation on the map, but there's no time, so he runs, Sirius along with him, until they reach the Whomping Willow, near where Bellatrix and Andromeda stand, probably waiting for her sister. Bellatrix has a scowl upon her face, and she is talking to Andromeda, who seems anxious even, in James' eyes. James looks around, searching for Peter, and he notices him next to the tree in his Animagus form.

"Stop it, Bellatrix!" Sirius shouts. She looks at them surprised, then angry.

"You were always the stupid one, but now, you're just ridiculous," Bellatrix says in a loud, booming voice. It takes only a few seconds for her to decide it's worth fighting Sirius, because Bellatrix pulls out her wand, and cast Depulso, pushing Sirius away with a force, right away.

Sirius reacts quickly, yelling, "Descendo!"

While Sirius fights with Bellatrix casting combating spells, James gestures to Peter to go to Remus, who must be anxious hearing the noise outside, without possibility to find out what is going on. Peter squeaks, though it's a faint sound among the others.

"Crucio!" Bellatrix voice sounds, making James look at the fighting cousins. James didn't want to join the fight, since Andromeda didn't show any will to do so, and James didn't want to create an unfair advantage. But the moment, he sees Sirius falling on his knees, with a face contorted with pain, he acts, before he thinks better of it.

"Flipendo!" James cries, casting a flipping spell on Bellatrix, the same time, Andromeda yells "Accio", pulling Bellatrix towards her. It surprises James, but he isn't sure if she has done it to defend Sirius or Bellatrix.

James looks up the moon, and feels chills on his skin. The cold wind reminds him, that the full moon comes soon. He looks at the place, where he saw Peter earlier, and is angry to still see him there. "Go to him!" he shouts to Peter, and it's only now, that his friend is heading to the Whomping Willow in his rat form.

Everyone turns their attention on the Peter, to whom James is yelling. When everyone sees how the small rat is touching one of the knots on the trunk of the Whomping Willow, freezing the dangerous branches, the time seems to halt. They realize the rat is entering a passageway through a gap in the tree's root. The first one to act is Sirius.

Sirius, who runs towards the passageway, probably guessing Remus is there, but not knowing, he is a werewolf. Remus would never forgive himself, if he did something to Sirius.

"Sirius, don't go there!" James yells, running after Sirius. His misfortune makes Bellatrix hex hit him, instead of Sirius, and James temporarily freezes.

James can only watch Sirius entering the passage after Peter, and hear the unexpected cry from Andromeda. The desperation in her voice, making James think it's not only about Sirius.

"Why can't you let others live their own lives!?"

---

Peter in his rat form isn't so slow, as many would think. Rats are mostly faster than humans, so it's not hard to outrun everyone and reach the Shrieking Shack, though he still isn't expecting Sirius Black to come into this space, and run really fast, catching up with Peter. He doesn't know what to do, because Sirius can't get to Remus, but Peter has no means to stop him. Should he transform into his human form? But then Sirius would surely outrun him. Peter speeds with only one goal in his head. To prevent Remus from hurting Sirius.

It seems too late, though, because when they enter the Shrieking Shack, the terrible snarling voice bounces off the walls. It's never a pleasurable sight, to see your friend's head and his body lengthening, and the hair on his skin sprouting at an alarming rate. The hunched shoulders, hands curled into clawed paws… It's done, the pain is gone for now, showing Remus' worst nightmare. Peter looks pitifully at Sirius, just in time to see him transforming into his own Animagus form of the big black dog. The werewolf growls, not knowing the smell of the new visitor of his.

Peter is frozen in shock, because once, Sirius is Animagus, and second, he entered the place, where werewolf is, without no fear for his life, as if it was natural for him. Then Sirius growls, and barks at Peter, waking him up from his stunned phase. They both help Remus calm down, and then they try to prevent Remus from hurting himself too much. It's a peculiar alliance they form. The Gryffindor rat with Slytherin dog, trying to help a werewolf. Remus, though, even in his beast form quickly gets used to Sirius, and seems far more interested in him, than he was in James or Peter.

They occupy Remus, and Peter notices the way Sirius glances from time to time at the door, like he wants to be ready the moment it opens, so he could take care of an eventual intruder, or prevent Remus from escaping.

Peter guesses if Bellatrix came to open this door, Sirius would take care of it. Peter has one job, and the one he does well enough to occupy himself with. Helping Remus. They all help him.

---

The next day, when Remus is in a hospital wing, it's a relief and a sting, to realize that Madam Pomfrey hasn't heard anything about yesterday's event. It makes Remus safer, but all that only makes them realize the Hogwarts is not so secure.

There are a lot of things going on. Andromeda coming to Peter, and saying she talked with Bellatrix, so they can be safe for now. Remus, who is afraid to see Sirius, after he saw him in his wolf form, even after Peter explains Sirius helped all the time, even though he saw Remus the werewolf. Then Remus asking why Sirius won't come to the hospital wing. No one answers that.

James, Peter, and Remus try acting normally, as if nothing happened, but they all feel the surrounding anxiousness, like the cloud above, covering the light. James wants to talk about it with someone outside, with Regulus, but he can't, because it's about his friend's secret. He stays, with Remus, tells jokes, and acts happily, changing Remus' flow of thoughts. Peter wants to tell Remus, that the Black family is dangerous for him, so maybe he should back off from Sirius for now, but he doesn't do it. He knows Remus knows better, what is the best for him, and he needs the support, not the reprimand, or unwanted advice.

Remus is a bit numb. He feels the pain, that's true, but his mind seems to be unusually blank. He wants to recover not only physically, but also mentally from this event. He wants to get ready, to talk with Sirius.

Remus is only afraid this will be the last time.